We have a rat visiting the compost bin…

Allira

HowVeryDareYou2

My eldest son and his family have got pet rats - 4 in one massive cage, and 2 in another. They are very clean, intelligent and inquisitive. Lovely little creatures.

Pet rats are quite different from disease-carrying wild rats.

Yes, I know they are. That particular son had pet rats when he was about 14. I'm not suggesting that wild rats are the same.

Pet rats are quite charming, they do make good pets. I enjoy handling them although I've never had one.
But spotting a wild rat makes my stomach sink. They are disease vectors & they do bite, & there are just so many around here since the park has been re-wilded.
I and my neighbour use bait traps when we see one (we feed the birds & compost); the neighbour on the other side used to shoot (at) them with his air rifle which seems a bit eccentric.

MayBee70

If I could no longer have a dog I’d consider having a rat as a pet. I’m always remember being at the vets and someone had his pet rat with him. I’m sure it sat on the bench next to him.A friend of mine used to keep one in his pocket and I used to baby sit for someone that had pet rats, too.Having said that, they’re not welcome in my garden for fear of what diseases my dog might catch from them. Isn’t Wyles ( sp) disease associated with them and I think my dog has to have a Lepto vaccine each year for something that is carried by rats.

Weil's disease, Leptospirosis.
We know of someone who died from thst.

HowVeryDareYou2

My eldest son and his family have got pet rats - 4 in one massive cage, and 2 in another. They are very clean, intelligent and inquisitive. Lovely little creatures.

Pet rats are quite different from disease-carrying wild rats.

My eldest son and his family have got pet rats - 4 in one massive cage, and 2 in another. They are very clean, intelligent and inquisitive. Lovely little creatures.

We put rat traps in our garden and the rat problem disappeared, bodies were disposed of sensibly, Weils disease can be nasty.

MayBee rats are very much like dogs in that they make eye contact with you and look into your soul. They are so different from other small pets like mice and gerbils in that way. I spent a small fortune on surgery for one with a mammary tumour. Their only downside is they don’t live very long.

escaped

A cat. Dogs are useless at the job.

Tell that to my dog. My husband used to take her out at night down our back street off lead and she would dash off and he would just hear a squeal then she would come back with the rat. I am too squeamish to do that!

If I could no longer have a dog I’d consider having a rat as a pet. I’m always remember being at the vets and someone had his pet rat with him. I’m sure it sat on the bench next to him.A friend of mine used to keep one in his pocket and I used to baby sit for someone that had pet rats, too.Having said that, they’re not welcome in my garden for fear of what diseases my dog might catch from them. Isn’t Wyles ( sp) disease associated with them and I think my dog has to have a Lepto vaccine each year for something that is carried by rats.

LaCrepescule

I’m in the minority obviously. I’m a rat-lover, I think they’re amazing creatures and yes, I’ve had them in my garden.
They don’t bother me and it saddens me that people class them as vermin.
Please don’t harm them and just use humane methods to deter them.

You’re not alone LaCrepescule. We had pet rats when my daughter was a teenager and they are the loveliest creatures. I’m quite laid back about sharing my garden with them, but I wouldn’t want them in the house. Having said that, I couldn’t bring myself to kill them or any creature.

LaCrepescule

I’m in the minority obviously. I’m a rat-lover, I think they’re amazing creatures and yes, I’ve had them in my garden.
They don’t bother me and it saddens me that people class them as vermin.
Please don’t harm them and just use humane methods to deter them.

I agree. Someone on my street keeps a couple of chickens and has now got rats in her garden. She's put poison down - horrible for the rats but also any animal like a fox who will then eat the rat.

We live across the road from wooded area we are constantly visited by rats we even have resident rats. We had a Jack Russell and never saw a rat in the garden but since he died we have lots of them.
We do have a dog but she is not interested in chasing rats away. We have tried everything but nothing works we made up our mind our next dog is a Jack Russell the best rat catcher any day.

Probably not an idea to be emulated but I remember years ago a colleague had this problem. He said he got his air rifle and aimed a pot shot at the composter and was never bothered again.

Allira

merlotgran

It’s most unusual for an adder to be anywhere near a garden compost heap. They are more likely to be found on heathland, moorland or woodland.

Slow worms and grass snakes on the other hand love compost heaps.

Yes, I was surprised but perhaps Tizliz lives next to moors or heathland.
They like bracken and similar habitats.

OH has also been bit, he was lying down on some moorland to take a photo.

Allira

Babs03

Tizliz

I eventually got rid of my compost bin when I realised that I would never have the courage to do anything with it since I got bit by an adder lurking in it.

Whoa!
That’s horrible.
We don’t have a compost bin and certainly won’t get one after reading that.
🫣

Well, not just horrible but potentially fatal.
Urgent treatment is needed.

Was it an adder or was it a grass snake or slow worm, Tizliz?

It was an adder, there were two little stab marks in my arm about quarter of an inch apart. Luckily it was through my fleece and I wasn’t ill just couldn’t use my arm for a week! There are quite a few adders here in north Scotland.

Rat predators help prevent the outbreak of potentially deadly diseases

uk predators:

birds of prey
other rats
various mammals, cats, dogs, foxes, weasels
snakes and big lizards

I also have hotbins at home, the genuine hotbins and have not seen any rat damage, the compost decomposes quickly
rat traps and chemical poisons

I have on my allotment 3 garantia compost bins with a soil fence under each, should stop vermin but not invincible. The old compost left on site was full of rat runs when I dug it out. They won`t find any attracting foods from me

The only areas in which I have seen a rat are near bird feeders and chicken runs

My brother has a large compost bin. A rather large python lives in it! Apparently it eats any mice or rats that appear! This is in Australia.

My two ancient cats brought a large rat in recently for the first time. Fortunately it was dead.

I’m in the minority obviously. I’m a rat-lover, I think they’re amazing creatures and yes, I’ve had them in my garden.
They don’t bother me and it saddens me that people class them as vermin.
Please don’t harm them and just use humane methods to deter them.

We have adders, when it starts to warm up, on the moors here.
We also had them in our log pile in France and the inquisitive dog got stung on the face. She started salivating and panting, and needed an antivenom from the vet.

merlotgran

It’s most unusual for an adder to be anywhere near a garden compost heap. They are more likely to be found on heathland, moorland or woodland.

Slow worms and grass snakes on the other hand love compost heaps.

Yes, I was surprised but perhaps Tizliz lives next to moors or heathland.
They like bracken and similar habitats.

It’s most unusual for an adder to be anywhere near a garden compost heap. They are more likely to be found on heathland, moorland or woodland.

Slow worms and grass snakes on the other hand love compost heaps.

Babs03

Tizliz

I eventually got rid of my compost bin when I realised that I would never have the courage to do anything with it since I got bit by an adder lurking in it.

Whoa!
That’s horrible.
We don’t have a compost bin and certainly won’t get one after reading that.
🫣

Well, not just horrible but potentially fatal.
Urgent treatment is needed.

Was it an adder or was it a grass snake or slow worm, Tizliz?

keepingquiet I was told not to put eggshells (even washed ones!) in compost as they take years to rot down. I would crush them up very small and dig them into the soil itself.

I have also been advised against using egg shells as rats love eggs.
It’s a dilemma though as they are a way of deterring the dreaded slugs.

My compromise is to wash and then microwave them for 15 seconds before crushing them. I put the crush around vulnerable new plants. I’m not sure that it helps but it makes me feel as though I’m a proper gardener.

Wouldn’t it be great if rats ate slugs? It would completely change my view of them!

Please compost your veg waste and plant cuttings Babs03 your chances of getting bitten by an adder are absolutely minimal and if you do ever get bitten, the chance of death is not worth worrying about as it's extremely rare. Homemade compost is good for the environment, good for the soil and good for the soul!